Colorado Rapids seal historic Ciao sponsorship deal

Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids have announced a new sponsorship deal with Ciao Telecom, which will see a company logo appear on club shirts for the first time.

The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but the club confirmed that it would run until 2018.

Colorado will wear their newly-branded shirts in their game against the LA Galaxy this weekend, and the deal will also see Ciao advertised at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

The telecommunications company were founded in 2011, and have headquarters in Dallas, as well as offices in Sao Paulo, London, Dubai and Milan.

Ciao aim to create products that will improve the fan experience at sporting events, and this move has been made with the goal of growing the company's presence in the United States.

The Rapids meanwhile were founded in 1995, and have won the MLS Cup once.

They are owned by Arsenal's largest shareholder Stan Kroenke, and are part of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.

Talking to the club's official website, Colorado president Tom Hinchey said, "Partnering with a global company like Ciao is a massive step forward for our entire organization, one that will be felt by everyone connected to the Rapids, as well as soccer fans throughout the country."

Hinchey also described the partnership as a "historic moment" for the club.

Don Pinkston, president of Ciao North America, added, "This is an incredibly important partnership for Ciao, and we're honoured to become a part of the Rapids and Kroenke Sports Family.

"The Rapids are a successful, fast-growing club with local and national relevance, and we could not think of a better company and platform to align with as we launch our company in the US."

Colorado are coached by former player Pablo Mastroeni, who also represented the United States national team at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, despite hailing from Argentina.

So far this season, Mastroeni's side have been relatively inconsistent, with 11 points from seven games, which sees them sit eighth in the division.

They started with a draw, a win and a defeat, against the New York Red Bulls, the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City respectively, with Uruguayan Vicente Sanchez netting four penalties across the three games.

The Rapids fortunes then improved slightly, not losing any of their next three, but a dismantling at the hands of an in-form Seattle Sounders FC last week brought them crashing back down to Earth.

Mastroeni was only appointed in March, and will have hoped to build on an impressive season last year, where Colorado's 14 wins was the most they've achieved in a single campaign since draws were introduced to the MLS in 2000.

If that's to be the case though, there will need to be some on-field improvement, particularly with the likelihood that new signing Marvin Chavez will be away at the World Cup with Honduras in the summer.

This weekend's opponents LA Galaxy haven't played since April 19, but they have yet to lose away from home this season, and possess one of the league's form men in Robbie Keane.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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